When to plant crocuses in Brest (France): by 13 November

In Brest (France), crocus: plant by 13 November. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit. For planting stock, the places nearby include Magasin Vert (garden centre, 4 km) and Jardiland (garden centre, 5 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Crocus in Brest (France): soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in January, average 4.8 °C.

Planting	by 13 November
First autumn frost	13 December
Coldest nights	January, 4.8 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	already in the first week of January
Daylight	9:21 on 13 November
Daylight at the winter solstice	8:19

The same dates in Brest (France) hold for Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil and Hyacinth.

Crocus in Brest (France): depth, winter cold, pests and pets

Plant Dutch crocuses (Crocus vernus) about 12 cm deep and 9 cm apart; smaller species go 7–10 cm deep (RHS).

In Brest (France) the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 20 weeks a year (our estimate from ten years of monthly weather). For this bulb Wisconsin Horticulture Extension gives a cold period of 15–17 weeks at about 2–10 °C. The winter here gives that in the ground, so the bulbs need no pre-chilling.

Crocuses multiply on their own (they naturalise); in a lawn, hold off mowing until their leaves die back (RHS).

Birds, squirrels and rodents damage crocuses; planting under metal mesh may reduce losses (RHS). Spring crocus gives dogs and cats vomiting and diarrhoea; do not confuse it with autumn crocus (Colchicum), which is very toxic (Pet Poison Helpline).

Sources: RHS, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, Pet Poison Helpline.

Crocus in nearby cities

All the nearest cities on our list plant crocus earlier than Brest (France); the closest date is in Quimper, 4 days earlier.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Quimper	52 km	by 9 November	4 days earlier
Rennes	210 km	by 29 October	15 days earlier
Nantes	255 km	by 30 October	14 days earlier
Exeter	268 km	28 October – end of December	16 days earlier
Angers	311 km	by 28 October	16 days earlier
Caen	315 km	by 5 November	8 days earlier

Where to buy crocus for planting in Brest (France)

Planting stock goes into the ground by 13 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Brest (France) OpenStreetMap lists 13 garden centres, 1 plant nursery, 22 markets and 15 farm shops (collected 27 October 2026).

Magasin Vert — garden centre
Rue du Dr Augustin Jacq - Zone de l'Hermitage 125, 29200 Brest · Mon–Fri 09:30–13:00, 14:00–19:00; Sat 09:30–19:00; Sun 10:00–12:30, 14:30–18:30; 2026 Oct 11 closed; 2026 Nov 01 closed · 4 km · monmagasinvert.fr
Point Vert — garden centre
Route de Plouarzel 5, 29290 Saint-Renan · Mon–Fri 09:00–12:00, 14:00–18:30; Sat 09:00–12:30, 14:00–18:30 · 12 km · monmagasinvert.fr
Magasin Vert — garden centre
Route du Conquet, 29200 Brest · Mon–Fri 09:30–13:00, 14:00–19:00; Sat 09:30–19:00; Sun 10:00–12:30, 14:30–18:30; 2026 Oct 09 09:30–12:00, 14:00–19:00 · 5 km · monmagasinvert.fr
Jardiland — garden centre
Mon–Sat 09:30–19:00; Sun 10:00–12:30, 14:00–19:00 · 5 km · jardiland.com
Point Vert — garden centre
Mon–Sat 09:00–12:00, 14:00–18:00; 2026 Oct 10 closed · 15 km · monmagasinvert.fr
Villaverde — garden centre
Mon–Sat 09:00–19:00; Sun 09:30–12:30, 14:00–18:00 · 10 km · villaverde.fr
Les Compagnons des saisons — garden centre
Mon–Sat 09:15–12:00, 14:00–19:00; Sun 10:00–12:30, 14:00–18:30 · 15 km · plabennec.compagnonsdessaisons.com
Version Villaverde — garden centre
Rue de Brest, 29290 Saint Renan · 10 km

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